Mohun Bagan Super Giant was left flustered with injury woes when Lalengmawia Ralte (Apuia) returned to Kolkata, limping after the AFC Asian Cup qualifier in Shillong on March 25.
Lalengmawia seemed to have picked up an injury in his right leg during India’s AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers match against Bangladesh and turned up for the post-match press conference with a limp. Though the recovery time and date of return are not known after preliminary examination, he remains doubtful for the first leg of Indian Super League (ISL) semifinal on April 3.
Mohun Bagan assessed him on his return on Wednesday and he has been in immediate rehab since. The club, reportedly upset with the development, has an MRI scheduled on Thursday.
Having started his ISL journey with NorthEast United in 2019, the 24-year-old established himself as one of India’s best midfielders at Mumbai City FC.
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He won two ISL Cups and League Winners’ Shields with the Islanders before switching to Mohun Bagan last summer.
Lalengmawia has made 25 appearances across all competitions for Mohun Bagan this season, guiding it to the Durand Cup final and winning the ISL Shield.
For India, he has played 24 times, appearing in every game under new coach Manolo Marquez so far. However, he failed to stand out in the latest international game, a goalless draw, which saw Bangladesh steal a point at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
“We were lucky not to concede a goal and to get the draw. We could have done so much better,” he said in the post-match press conference.
The midfielder, who looked visibly worried during the press conference and while leaving for Kolkata, also added that playing against Bangladesh and Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury was a learning experience.
“It was always good to play against players who play at the top level. He made it very difficult for us as well. But it was a good point for us to learn from them, the way they play, the intensity and the type of football they are playing. I think that’s very good for us to improve our level,” he added.
Lalengmawia’s injury would only complicate matters for the Mariners. They are already without forward Manvir Singh and full-back Asish Rai at the moment, with both recovering from injuries.
Mohun Bagan has won the ISL Cup once, in 2023, but was upset by Lalengmawia’s Mumbai City in the final last season, in front of a capacity crowd in Kolkata.
With the midfielder now in green-and-maroon, the Kolkata-based outfit will look to use his experience to redeem itself.
It will face the winner of the playoff between Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United – on March 30 – in the two-legged semifinals.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com